Zoning can bring on all sorts of complications, especially when two parties don’t agree about their property rights or their boundary lines. Recently, three neighborhoods chose to spark real estate lawsuits against the city of Los Angeles when they found that contractors are now allowed to build skyscrapers and larger buildings in parts of Los Angeles. The new building permissions have motivated three separate neighborhoods to litigate. While the three groups filed separately, they all have the same reasons for suing and the same agenda. The three plaintiffs say that the Hollywood Community Plan which supports larger and taller buildings violates the environmental laws of the state.
According to the Los Angeles Times, officials didn’t consider the traffic, air quality, and public services when they decided to make larger buildings. The plaintiffs claim that the larger buildings will bring more people into the already congested city. Not only will these further degrade the air quality, but it will slow emergency services. Already, Hollywood residents complain that emergency response times are slow and dangerous for citizens.
The zoning charges are a part of a larger city strategy to build large business and residential structures near transportation hubs. Parts of Los Angeles are outfitted with a subway system, Metro system, bus transit service, and other methods of transportation. The contractors believe that if they could build their structures near these drop off and pick-up spots, it would make things more convenient for the men and women of the city. The plan to build these new structures was decided on last month. Yet many residents think that more apartments in the city will further ruin the town’s historic element. They also think that the exaggerated populations will send an unnecessary amount of people into the city, making it hard to navigate through Los Angeles.
The crowded streets will deter tourists, damage the air quality, and make things more complicated for residents, they complain. The Hollywood Community Plan has been in discussion for years, and for years, neighborhood organizations have been vehemently fighting the strategies. Recently, when the Hollywood city council approved the measures, many of those groups that have been vocal about the plan took action. The three plaintiffs in separate cases are Fix the City, La Mirada Avenue Neighborhood Association, and the SaveHollywood.org group.
It is assumed that the lawsuits will emerge as an issue in the 2013 mayoral race. A candidate for the mayor of Hollywood, Eric Garcetti, happens to be a big fan of the Hollywood Community Plan. He has been planning with city officials to implement the plan if he is elected. Garcetti says that he wants Hollywood residents to realize that the plan has been created to help them, and was greatly needed. He says that the council is trying to be sensitive to residents’ concerns. Hollywood has not updated their zoning guidelines since 1988.
Garcetti and his team claim that many residents support the measures, but these people don’t make it into the news. Instead, the press has chosen to highlight the lawsuits that are entangled in the zoning plans. The city council declares that the Hollywood Community Plan will protect the character of the residential neighborhoods in the city and will work to reduce traffic. Some officials think that if they can place bus stops and metro stops near important residential and business buildings, it will reduce traffic by encouraging people to use other modes of transportation. Still, some people are threatened by the plan. If you believe that your city is making choices that don’t support a safe and comfortable lifestyle for you as a resident, then you may want to consider a lawsuit. Talk to someone at a real estate firm today to get more information about how you can take legal action.